History on British television explores the production and consumption of factual history programming on British television. The chronological development of Western historiography is compared to phases of British television history production, highlighting how progressive developments in social and cultural trends have shaped what we make of the past and what the past makes of us.

Charting the rise and dominance of television history as a popular cultural form, the book examines how the past has become a model for citizenship, prioritising certain groups and classes, marginalising others. Clearly defined chapters deal with the battle between the BBC and its commercial rivals to become the 'voice of the nation'.

Engaging, informed and easy to read, the book is intended for researchers, teachers and students interested in television and historical studies, as well as readers keen to understand how collective memory, television and history have become a potent propaganda mixture of stylised myths reinforcing nationality, identity and citizenship.

About the Author
Robert Dillon has taught visual history for over twenty years, and after leaving Lancaster University where he was an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of History, he remains a committed historian and a full-time writer

Reviews

there are books that become the standard works in their fields for a generation or more. I would be very surprised if 'History on British Television' and 'the BBC and National Identity in Britain' do not establish themselves as "must-read" works

, James Chapman, University of Leicester, Visual Culture in Britain, 31 January 2012

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Book Information
ISBN 9780719099854
Author Robert Dillon
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Manchester University Press
Publisher Manchester University Press
Weight(grams) 358g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 13mm